Ryan's Hope

We've waited nearly three decades for an American to not just run fast against the world's best marathoners—but to beat them. It's tempting to think Ryan Hall is the one. This November in New York, he's prepared to deliver on his promise.

That leaves only the matter of tactics. Hall has been praised for racing aggressively against the East Africans in London and Boston—and criticized for exactly the same. Some say he should rein himself in and learn a little patience. Hall has heard these voices and agrees that he needs more nonmarathon racing experience. Happily, he's not willing to abandon the idea of going a little crazy in a race. "Running's a very artistic thing, so I like to leave my race strategy wide open," he says of his plan for New York. "When you feel the time is right, you've got to go with it."

Hall got a taste of running the streets of New York in August, when he finished third in the half-marathon. Afterward, he dumped a bottle of water over his head. And then another. It was a steamy dog-days morning in the city, tough enough on an acclimatized East Coaster but brutal for a high-altitude Californian.

Hall clocked a 1:02:35 that morning, while the winner was one of those largely unknown but extremely fast East Africans, this one an Ethiopian named Tadese Tola, 21. He finished far ahead of Hall in 1:01:06. Tola hasn't run a marathon yet, but says he's confident he can do a 2:06 in his first. "Tola ran great today," Hall later said. "He was obviously on a mission. When I come back for the marathon, that's when I'll be on my mission. In November, I think I can run the full distance at the same pace I ran the half today."

Wait a minute! That works out to a 2:05:10 marathon. The New York City Marathon course record is 2:07:43. The last five New York's have been won in an average time of 2:09:12. Someone asked Hall if he was sure about that 2:05 calculation. "Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see," he said, smiling, clearly eager at the prospect. "I know I'll be in better shape, and I know the cool weather will be more to my liking. I love the marathon more than any other distance. I love the rhythm of it. Will 2:05 happen this year? Maybe, maybe not. But I believe anything is possible, and I look forward to finding out."

Ryan Hall knows that he's got a lot of ground to make up in order to beat the world's finest. He knows where he stands on the all-time list of best marathoners, and that there's little chance the tidal wave of great Africans will suddenly dissipate. Hall realizes that Americans get very excited about his marathon potential, while Africans worry more about each other than the hotshot blondie. And that's okay; it gives him a better chance to study them up-close. "I like hanging out with the African runners," he says. "They're always teaching me something new."

Take nutrition, for example. Hall has noticed that the Africans regard their simple foods as a source of power. They don't demonize what they eat; they see it as fuel. Hall says he has now adopted the same approach. "I don't think we have to feel guilty every time we eat a muffin." Africans have a clean mental framework, too. After a race is run, it's over and done. "Haile Gebrselassie [the marathon world record holder] doesn't win every race he runs," Hall notes. "But after one of his losses, he can come back in his next race and set a world record."

Of course, it's the African distance performances, the speed and depth of them, that's most troubling to Western runners. Hall's attitude? Acknowledge what is, and keep moving forward. "There are so many tough Africans, and it's a great honor to compete against them," he says. "Ultimately, if I never win anything, I can live with that. But I believe I have to be bold. I believe I have to keep putting myself out there and going for it. And eventually, in my innermost core, I believe that my day is going to come and it will happen."